Tongue-switch.



No. 705,056.'v Patented luly 22, |902.

GLM. ERVIN. I

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(Application tiled Nov. 13, 1901.)

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GEORGE M. ERVIN, OF .IOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO 'FI-1E LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGUEWSWITCl-l.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,056, dated July 22, 1902.'.

Application filed November 13, 1901. Serial No. 82,104. (No model.) i

T0 @ZZ whom, t may] concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. ERVIN, of Johnstown,in the countyof Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tongue-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that class of railwaytrack structures known as tongue-switches, and is designed to provide a structure of this kindin which those parts of the structure subject to the greatest wearto wit, the seat or bed for the point end of the movable tongue and also the head of the adjacent main-rail memberM-are formed by a separate wear plate or piece of eXtra hard material, which can be removed and replaced should it become sufficiently worn or defective to render it unserviceable.

` Yith this object in view my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the wear member whereby it is made to constitute those parts of the structure above specified as being subject to greatest wear and which can be removed and replaced at any time without disturbing the body of the structure as a whole and also without disturbing the adjacent pavement.

My invention also consists in the novel features of construction and arrangement, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan View of a tongue-switch embodying my invention. Fig. is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of'liig. l; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but which shows a modified construction.

In the figures the letter A designates the straight-track rail memberof the structure, and B the branch-track rail member, these members consisting, preferably, of sections of T-rails. They are secured to a body portion C,Which is preferably a casting,by means of bolts c, the seats or apertures for which are cored in the casting and drilled or punched in the rail members. The casting C is formed with a side Hange C', and the web of the rail B from the point b to the point b is bent slightly inward, as shown in Fig. 2; In the box-like structure formed by this flange and the rail A is seated a separate wear member D, which has also a box-like form in crosssection and which forms the bed for the point end port-ion of the movable switch-tongue E. The rail B, which is otherwise a continuous rail, has its head removed from the point b to the point b', Fig. 1, and this head is replaced by the portion D of the member D in the manner shown in Fig. 2. Said member may be formed of any suitable kind of steel or steel alloys possessing the desired qualities of toughness and hardness, manganese steel'beingpreferred, and is cast in the proper shape. It is seated on a bed of spelter or other suitable material, (indicated at F,) and in the construction shown in Fig. 1 is secured to its seat by side keys or Wedges Gr, driven between the shoulder g thereof and the overhanging shouldery g on theside flange O2, its opposite edge being beveled, as indicated at d, to correspond approximately to the inward bend of the web of rail B, whereby the said member will be held against displacement. After these keys orwedges are properly seated the spelter is poured around them, filling the spaces at the sides of the plate and flowing underneath the same. Before seating the said member it can beproperly leveled and adjusted by placing thin blocks or shims unn derneath it. Shouldit be desired to remove said member at any time, this can be done by chipping outthe spelter at its sides and removing the keys or wedges, after which it can be pried or lifted from its seat by any suitable means. Y

In the construction shown -in` Fig. 3 the bending of the web of rail B is omitted, and the member D is secured by means of keys H, which have inclined head portions h and offset foot portions 7L. These keys are dropped into registering apertures in the bottom portion of the member and in the casting C and are heldin engagement therewith in the manner shown by a Wedge I,driven between. them. This wedge can be driven entirely through to the bottom of the structure, and thus release the keys to allow the member to be removed without disturbing the adjacent pavement.

The length of the member D will vary somewhat according to the `radius of the switch, its length increasing with the length of the radius. It should be long enough, however, in each case to extend over those portions of the structure which are subject to the greatest wear and may even extend the full length of the movable tongue. I do not claim herein the manner of fastening the said member in place shown inFig. 3, for the reason that the fastening devices shown in said iigure are broadly described and claimed in a pending application of even date herewith, Serial No. 82,103.

It will be obvious that the Wear member may be secured in place by other means than those herein described, and I do not, therefore,wis h to limit myselfto the particular construction and combination of parts which I have herein shown and described.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a tongue-switch, the combination with the continuousrail member having a portion of its headremoved, and the casting to'which said rail member is secured, of a wear mem-V ber forming a bed for the point end of the movable tongue and also having a portion which replaces the removed head of the rail member.

2. In a tongue-switch, the combination with the continuous-rail member, having a portion of its head removed, and the casting to which said rail is secured, and which is formed with a side flange opposite the rail member, of a wear member seated between the rail and the said ange and having a portion which replaces the removed portion of the rail-head, together with means for removably securing said rail member to its seat.

3. Inatongue-switch, the combination with the continuous rail, having a portion of its head removed, and the casting to which said rail is secured, and which is formed with a side angepf the box-like wear member seated and secured between said flange and the web of the rail, the latter being bent inwardly to provide an overhanging side bearing for the wear member.

4. In a tongue-switch, the combination with the continuous curved rail having a portion of its head removed, and the casting to which said rail is secured, said casting having an under beveled side flange C, of the wear member D seated between said flange and the web of the rail, and having a portion replacing the removed head of said rail, and the removable keys or wedges which secure said member D to its seat.

5. In a tongue-switch, a rail member seated in the switch structure and having a depressed portion forming a bed for the movable switchd point, and a raised portion fitting over the web of the through-rail and replacing a por vtion of the head thereof, together with removable keys or wedges whichsecure said member in its seat.

6. In a tongue-switch, the combination of the through-rail, having a portion of its head removed, the casting to which said rail is secured having a side iiange, the wear member seated between said iange and the web of the rail and forming a bed for the movable switchtongue, said member also having a raised pord tion replacing the removed head of the rail, spelter or like materialunderneath and at the sides of said member, and removable fastening keys or wedges securing said member in its seat.

In testimony whereof I have aftixed my sign nature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. ERVIN.

Witnesses:

GoRA G. Cox, H. W. SMITH. 

